FROM THE BEGINNING
OUR STORY
2018
Simple Studios was born out of the initial concept, ‘Simple Prints’ and founded in 2018. ‘Simple Prints’ sold custom, varied sized 2D illustrations and began in the midst of studying towards a Masters in Landscape Architecture. I have always had an innate passion for the natural world and creativity. As a young, creative architecture student, I was playing in photoshop and amazed that when photographic images were tweaked, and turning them into 2D designs, that it was still clear who the person in the picture was. I hadn’t seen anything like it, and I realised we were onto something. But as with any small business starting up, there was a lot to learn.
We started off pricing our ‘Simple Prints’ at the low price of $8.00 NZD for an illustration of any size – and including as many people as the customer requested. But for a student, making $4.00 an hour was awesome And, when it came to our packaging, well… let’s just say that our initial methods weren’t the most robust… but hey, there’s no room for growth if you don’t make mistakes, right?
A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE
2020
In March of 2020, 3 days into Aotearoa’s nationwide lockdown, the world changed for me, my mum passed suddenly. My mum, Monique, was my constant source of support, guidance, and happiness. The person who cheered me on, no matter what I chose to do. At the time, I was working as an architecture graduate at a large corporation in a male-dominated industry. And sadly, I faced the harsh reality many women face of being a woman in business. I felt isolated, vulnerable, lesser – with the added struggle of coping with the sudden loss of mum. But finally, I found the courage to leave – and I thank my mum for that.
Losing mum put the world into perspective. Life isn’t about high paying jobs that undervalue you and hours of overworking – just to fit society's definition of successful. We glamourize burnout – and its bullshit. Life is about people, connection, love and support. It’s about waking up every day looking forward to that day's events. Not holding on, and living for the weekend. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people. Vaila, my partner's mum in particular has supported me unconditionally throughout the hardest days of my life and continues to. This strong woman reminded me of the importance of sustaining my own identity throughout the rollercoaster of grief. So, putting all the above into perspective, I decided to stop working in a job that riddled me with anxiety and pursue what I love – creating.
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